Introduction
Motivation deals with the reasons why people behave the way they do or do things the way they do. For example, at the place of work, there is a reason why some people come late while others come early. It may be that those who come late to work are bored or have poor time management skills. Motivation could either be intrinsic or extrinsic. Given that different individuals are motivated by various things, there is the need to examine employees’ motivation as well as the motivational effects of stress and conflict at the workplace.
The motivational effects of stress and conflict in the workplace
When a worker or workers have some conflicts in the workplace, they are motivated to face the challenges that face them each and every day for example meeting deadlines since after this they become satisfied. In addition, the workers and the managers are motivated to search for new ways of dealing with the situations that make them have stress. Moreover, the employees and companies work as a team in trying to find out how to deal with the conflicts and when the solutions are realized, there is the probability of increasing productivity and the workplace become a safe environment for all the stakeholders.
Three motivational theories include the relationship of stress and conflict in relation to individual motivations
According to Accel-Team (2008, p. 2), there are many theories that explain employees’ motivation. Motivation theory is a term that is used to explain the causes of the behaviors of people. There are three theories that impact motivation. These are Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs theory, Expectancy theory, and Goal theory. All of these theories seek to explain what affects the performance of employees. For example, with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, people will perform more if their physiological and safety needs are satisfied. On the other hand, with the expectancy theory, people will perform better if they have a higher expectation that after engaging in a certain task, they will get better outcomes. Lastly, the goal theory holds that people will perform better if they have understood the goals that have been set. However, these theories vary in many ways. For instance, with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, a person is motivated to work if their needs are satisfied while for expectancy theory the people are motivated to work due to the expectation they have. With the goal-setting theory, people are motivated to work if the goals that are set are clear to them (Dubrin, 2004, p. 229).
The relationship of stress and conflict in relation to individual motivations
An individual’s motivation can lead to stress and conflicts in many ways. For instance, an individual who is motivated to work because their needs are met will be stressed if their needs are not met and will start quarreling with their bosses. Additionally, if an individual’s expectations are not met even after putting a lot of effort into their work, they will be stressed and more so if it is hard for them to meet the set goals (Dubrin, 2004, p.7). Moreover, they will be stressed so much if their bosses are not in a position to explain the set goals.
Effective techniques of dealing with a stressful situation at the workplaces
There are many instances when I have been stressed at my place of work. To deal with this stressful situation, I, first of all, find the cause of it. I have to ask myself such questions as; was the stress caused by pressure to meet deadlines or was my stress caused by my lack of getting a good night’s sleep and not being able to think clearly and complete my work on time. However, in the future, I intend to seek good relations between myself and my co-workers and the management by taking care of how I talk to them (Dubrin, 2004, p.9). In addition, I will ensure that I develop a good healthy lifestyle and avoid those instances that can lead to a stressful situation.
In addition, I will ensure that I develop a good healthy lifestyle and avoid those instances that can lead to stressful situations. For example, when it comes to a good healthy lifestyle, I will ensure that I will do some regular exercise like running, taking a deep breath among others as this will help in reducing stress. Alternatively, to effectively deal with stress I intend to take some breaks off the work and do some things that are not related to my work. I also intend to share what is stressing me with my friends or someone I trust as the problem ones shared is half solved. Moreover, I will learn to accept those things that are beyond my control, do one thing at a time, and have realistic expectations of others (Dubrin, 2004, p.9).
Conclusion
There are many things that motivate employees to work. These things that motivate them are clearly shown in the motivation theories. However, there are some aspects of employees’ motivation that can make them have stress and be in conflicts between individuals and either management or other workers. Due to the fact that an individual in most cases goes through a stressful situation at the working places, it is important that an individual know how to cope with stress. Some of the ways of coping with stress are avoiding stressful situations and accepting what is beyond your control and having good health habits, among other things.
Reference List
- Accel-Team. (2008). Employee Motivation: Theory and Practice.
- DuBrin, A. (2004). Applying psychology: Individual and organizational effectiveness (6th Ed.). Saddle River, NJ: Pearson / Prentice Hall.